Close Your Eyes
by Confiscated Retina
Summary: Karkat and Terezi in the timeline where Vriska leaves the meteor. Rated for violence, death, and language.
1. Optional

**A/N:** Just some brutal, slightly morbid, incredibly saccharine Karezi fluff I wrote last night. There may be more to this than the two parts I have so far, but try not to expect any. I rather like it as is.

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**Close Your Eyes**

**1. Optional**

"I couldn't do it."

Terezi's dragon-headed sword cane falls from her gloved fingers at the sound of Karkat's footfalls. The noise it makes striking the ancient metal rooftop is hollow, a dull note of finality. He rushes forward through a faint haze of sparkling blue that vanishes in the Medium's distance to wrap his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," Terezi's voice is thick. "I couldn't stop her from leaving. He's going to kill us."

"It's not your fault," Karkat says into her shoulder.

"But..."

"It's not your fault."

Her arms shake as they grip his shoulders tighter. Karkat can feel his blood pounding in fingertips that shiver against her back.

"Terezi," he takes a steadying breath. "If Noir's coming, then I want to tell you some-"

Warm lips against his silence the words. Karkat exhales sharply through his nose with surprise, then leans into her kiss. He blinks back tears when they part, swallowing past a lump in his throat.

"I know, Karkat," she whispers.

"Okay," his voice is hoarse.

"Close your eyes."

She leans against him and the universe is drowned out by the blood pounding in his skull, the feel of her breath on his wet cheek. He tangles his fingers in her hair and hopes she feels the same way.

The sound of black wings ripples through the air in the same instant that her breath hitches against his mouth. Almost before he registers it, a searing, crushing pain lances through him and out the other side. It twists, squeezing tears down his face, then rips free to leave a gaping wet hole caressed by the Medium's atmosphere and a jagged sunburst of anguish.

Knowing that this is his last moment with her hurts almost as much.

They cling to one another and slip into eternity together.


	2. Epilogue

**Close Your Eyes**

**2. Epilogue**

"That was it?"

Karkat pats at his chest, trying to find a gaping hole which isn't there under an unmarked shirt.

"I guess so," beside him Terezi shrugs.

"That fucking sucked!"

"Burn out your think pan coming to that conclusion, Troll Einstein?" her grin is playful and his savage reply is replaced by a shy smile.

"So..." he shrugs. "I guess we're dead."

"Mmhmm, sure looks that way."

"Want to have sloppy afterlife make-outs?"

"Could be fun," Terezi drifts leisurely into the air over his head.

"Hey, what the fuck?" Karkat glares up at her as she begins to circle, arms folded over his chest. "You know I can't fly!"

She puts her arms behind her head and sprawls lazily in the air. "You're dead, Karkat. You can do whatever you want."

"How the hell do you know?"

Terezi kicks a foot in the air with smug satisfaction and Karkat's scowl deepens. She rolls onto her stomach and continues to circle.

"You realize I know the truth, right?" she says, cheeks resting in her hands.

Karkat grumbles sourly to himself and glares at his feet.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. I can help you but you have to be honest with me, and yourself, first."

He huffs and continues to stare obstinately at his feet. Terezi adds a slow corkscrew to her meandering flight path just out of his reach. Karkat's shoulders sag and he mutters something to his shoes.

"Didn't quite catch that," her fingers brush his hair from above.

"Like fuck you didn't," he growls. "Jegus."

She comes to a stop and hovers in front of him, waiting.

He sighs. "I said I'm afraid to fly. Does that please Your Tyranny?"

After several moments of silence, Karkat looks up when a finger pokes him in the forehead. Terezi's hands are outstretched, an earnest expression on her face. Slowly and with a look of suspicion, Karkat unfolds his arms and takes her hands.

"Look at me," she says.

Immediately he looks down to see his feet rising away from the immaterial metal rooftop.

"Sweet Jegus!" he yelps, kicking his feet. "This is way too fucking high! Put me down put me down fucking put me down!"

"I said look at me, chumpass!"

Terezi yanks him up, mashing their lips together and wrapping her arms around his waist. Karkat exhales a muffled scream into her mouth as he throws his arms around her shoulders and clings for dear unlife. She pulls back, grinning.

"Sloppy afterlife make-outs are pretty fun so far," she says.

Karkat makes a small, high pitched sound that is half agreement and half terror.

She chuckles. "Close your eyes."

He swallows hard but does and she places a gentle kiss between them. Karkat smiles faintly.

"I like it when you smile," Terezi smile's back. "It suits you."

"I guess," his eyes are squeezed tight shut and he still has a hard grip around her shoulders. "So we're dead. What do you want to do?"

"Maybe there's a Prospit or two hanging around here with us. There was a lot of stuff I wanted to show you. Want to go?"

He pulls himself up to kiss her quickly. "Yeah, sure."

Terezi helps him rearrange himself so that they're flying side by side, arms around each others shoulders. With his free hand, Karkat takes hers and they rocket into the void, leaving the meteor's ghost behind.


End file.
